Dialogue in TNG: "The Last Outpost" and "The Perfect Mate" suggested that, at least as late as 2368, Ferengi considered gold valuable. In "Little Green Men", Quark says to a 20th-century Human that "gold is good" while discussing what humans could trade for advanced Ferengi technology. However, by the time of "Who Mourns for Morn?", Quark described gold as "worthless", seemingly contradicting the earlier assessment that gold had "good" trade value.

One explanation for this apparent devaluation of gold was the fact that the Ferengi had only recently made First Contact with the Federation. Replicator technology, if introduced to a gold-based economy, could send markets plunging. This may have happened to the Ferengi, who would have experienced a massive gold market crash as a result. Then again, gold may have lost value for some other reason. The comment in "Little Green Men" may be in the context of a pre-replicator economy.

According to the script for "Emissary", the Cardassians playing Dabo in Quark's were winning gold, although it was later stated that it was worthless.